Software Improvements

This week, George and Huanxin spent some time torture testing the Deck Data Hub software that we are hoping to roll out across the eMOLT fleet over the coming months. This software is a blend of code from Lowell Instruments, Ocean Data Network, and the original python scripts developed by JiM, Huanxin, and many interns. By working off a unified code base, we hope to make troubleshooting more efficient, provide some of the features our industry partners have been asking for, and streamline our data transmission.

For those of you who haven’t seen this software yet, you can check out some screenshots and features below:

• In the top left, the color of the vessel icon indicates which version of the software is running, so we know if your box needs a major update or not.
• In the middle up top is a network connection indicator showing whether your vessel is connected to a WiFi network, cellular network, or neither.
• In the top right is a feature that our industry partners have requested time and time again – a screen dimmer!
• On the bottom left the cloud message indicates whether your vessel is successfully transmitting data to the cloud or not.
• The tabs across the top allow you to toggle back and forth between the main status screen, plots of data, and an information screen that shows the time of the last interaction your deckbox had with your logger(s) and whether it successfully downloaded the data from the logger or not.
• In the middle of the screen is a large icon indicating your system’s current activity. In this case, the system is in “resting” mode to save power while the vessel is stationary in port.

Just as important as unifying what people see on their deckboxes is unifying the information we receive on the back end. For example, the new software sends email updates back to the eMOLT team whenever a deckbox powers up, successfully downloads a logger, or runs into an error, all information that will help us keep your systems running smoothly and (hopefully) reduce the number of times we call to bug you about why the system isn’t working.

Finally, the new software transmits data into a pipeline connected directly to our new database. That means the data you collect are available almost immediately to the modelers who rely on that information to improve their ocean forecasts. Additionally, having a single storehouse of data makes it easier for us to leverage all of this information for other scientific research beyond ocean forecasts.

Hardware Improvements

In addition to improving the software on the boxes, we’re also looking for ways to make the hardware more resilient without breaking the bank. Recently, we’ve begun heat-shrinking the power connections outside the box to reduce problems with rusting and cables vibrating out of place.

One great thing about working with fishermen and scientists is that there’s no shortage of creative problem solvers in the room. If you have an idea for making these boxes more resilient to life on board commercial fishing vessels, please feel free to reach out!

Acknowledgements

Thanks this week to Chris and Captain Mike at Sea Watch International for your efforts to get the F/V Sea Watcher II online. We appreciate you being so communicative and making sure everything was up and running.

Thanks also to Owen and Captain Willis up in Provincetown for bringing the F/V Donna Marie back online after a long hiatus due to bluetooth problems.

Forecasts

This week, in addition to the NECOFS forecasts we’ve been including, we also have the bottom temperature forecast from the Doppio modelers at Rutgers. There are many differences between these two models. Among them, Doppio assimilates eMOLT data, but we are still in the process of setting that up for the NECOFS group. That means, the Doppio modelers use the real-world observations from this program to improve their model.

One major difference this week is a streamer of cold water running along the shelf southwest to New Jersey that’s present in Doppio, but not in NECOFS. According to observations in that area from eMOLT participant F/V Christi Caroline and other Cooperative Research Branch partners, bottom temperatures are more in line with what’s predicted in Doppio, and cooler than what’s predicted by NECOFS.